Creamy, flavorful, and packed full of healthy fats – this creamy avocado lime dressing is perfect for your next salad or sandwich.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This dressing is so creamy but it’s heart-healthy with no mayonnaise or sour cream.
How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mini-food processor or blender
Servings: makes 1 cup
So creamy and delicious, avocado dressing is easy to make and is good for you. Because it’s homemade, this salad dressing is fresh tasting and doesn’t contain any artificial flavors or preservatives.
It is great on a simple salad of greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers. It’s thick enough that it works well as a dip or sandwich spread too.
Why make a dressing with avocados? Avocados contain healthy fats, have lots of fiber, and are loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals (Healthline). So I’d say, why NOT make a dressing with avocados?
If you like the idea of a dressing made with avocados, be sure to try avocado chicken salad. It’s a bit unique because you won’t find any mayo in this chicken salad. It’s really delicious!
This avocado dressing is vegan, vegetarian, keto-friendly, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
About this Avocado Dressing
This one is for all you cilantro-haters out there. When I did a quick search for creamy avocado lime dressings, many (if not all!) contained cilantro. I’m definitely a cilantro lover but I know many of you are not.
Instead of leaving it out completely, I replaced it with another powerhouse flavor. It just so happens to be one of my favorites – cumin. Cumin gives this dressing a nice warm flavor that contrasts perfectly with the bright citrus of the lime.
Avocado lime dressing is made in minutes using a blender or a food processor. It’s super versatile, and because it’s so thick and creamy, you could even spread it on a sandwich in place of mayo. It is wonderful in a wrap with turkey, bacon, and tomato!
What You’ll Need
- Ripe Avocados: You’ll need two avocados. Avocados vary widely in size. If your avocados are on the small side, you may want to use three.
- Olive Oil: Another heart healthy oil, this dressing has just 2 tablespoons of olive oil which keeps the calorie count low.
- Lime Juice: Use freshly squeezed lime juice if at all possible. It just has a fresher taste.
- Ground Cumin: This spice is used in so many cultures but we’re particularly familiar with it in south of the border dishes. It’s a warm flavorful spice made from ground cumin seeds.
- Garlic Powder: You could also use fresh garlic, especially if you’re a garlic fan, but garlic powder provides a more subtle shade of this potent flavor.
- Salt & Pepper: These simple seasonings perk up the flavor of almost everything. Add more or less, according to taste and preference.
- Water: A fair amount of water is needed to thin the dressing. If you’re planning on using it as a dip or spread, you may need a bit less.
How To Make This Recipe
You’ll need a mini food processor or blender to get that perfect creaminess. A rubber scraper is helpful too.
This dressing really only takes about five minutes to throw together. Simply add all of the ingredients to the food processor and hit the on button. Process until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
Scrape the dressing out of the food processor with that helpful rubber scraper and serve it immediately if you want, or store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready for it.
Make It Your Own
- If you love cilantro, by all means add it! Add 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro leaves and small stems to the food processor. Fresh dill or parsley are great, too!
- Omit the cumin if you prefer. If you like, substitute chili powder or another spice.
- Can’t find fresh limes? Fresh lemon juice works fine!
- This recipe is dairy-free. If you prefer, add a tablespoon or two of Greek yogurt for even more creaminess.
- Not into avocados? Clearly, this recipe isn’t for you. Keep reading for lots more homemade dressing recipes. I’m positive you’ll see some you like.
Avocado dressing will keep in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for two to three days.
More Salad Dressing Recipes
Looking for more homemade salad dressings to add to your repertoire? Here’s a few of my favorites:
- Sweet and Tangy Honey Mustard Vinaigrette <–that one is my flavor of the week, I almost always have a jar in my fridge
- Green Goddess Dressing <–a yogurt based dressing packed with fresh herbs
- Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette <–for all those fruity summer salads
- Reduced Fat Ranch Dressing <–there’s nothing better than homemade ranch
- Honey Lime Dressing
- Lemon Basil Viniagrette <–One of my absolute favorites! So fresh and flavorful!
- The Best Salad Dressing Recipes <–I’ve put together a list of the best homemade dressings so you can choose your favorite!
Creamy Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (more if needed)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients together in a blender or a mini food processor until smooth. Taste and season as desired.
- If the consistency is too thick, add a bit more lime juice or water.
- Use immediately or store refrigerated in an airtight container. Makes 1 cup.
Notes
- Serving size: 2 tablespoons.
- Add 1/4 cup (or more!) fresh cilantro leaves and small stems to the food processor if you like. Fresh dill or parsley are good choices, too.
- Substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice for the lime juice if that’s what you happen to have.
- Dressing is quite thick and can be used as a dip or sandwich spread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How long is it good for in the refrigerator?
Up to 3 days. :)
SO good! I didn’t have any cilantro and needed a dressing for a southwestern salad. This was perfect! Will use on repeat!!!
So happy to hear it came in handy and you liked it!
My family is hooked this dressing is amazing!!! We absolutely love it!!!
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
This salad dressing was a perfect compliment to my chicken fajita salad. The only thing I added to this recipe was a 1/4 of a jalapeño to add some spice
So happy to hear you liked it! I love the addition of jalapeno!
I used this as a spread for a Southwest meatloaf sandwich that I make. Goes perfect match. This is a very good dressing.
That’s a great idea! I’m glad you liked it – thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Do you think this would be okay to freeze?
I haven’t tried freezing this dressing, but I think it would work well. The texture might change slightly, but it should be okay.
Loved this recipe!! The cumin adds a nice kick. Will be making this a lot in the future!
So glad you liked this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Absolutely delicious! I added cilantro and my husband and I are making this our favorite dressing for our taco salad, fish tacos, etc…
Love the addition of cilantro! So happy you like this – thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!